Lobenzo meekee



L. MBEKER.

LIFTING JACK.V

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO MEEKER, OF HURON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HURON ISLOOK AND NOVELTY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LIFTING-JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,029, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed J auuary 15, 1887. Serial No. 224,450. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LORENZO MEEKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huron, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liftig-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvement-sin lifting-jacks; and itconsists inacertain novel construction and arrangement of parts for service, clearly set forth hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved jack. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the clutch detached. Fig. 4 is a detail section illustrating the operation of the clutches.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters'denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the tubular standard of iny liftingfjack secured to a base, B, and having the right-angled arin O projecting ont wardly and upwardly from its side near the top. A bar, D, having the head (l, is iitted in the tubular standard A, and is engaged by the clutch E,which consists of the side or pivot plates, F, between which, at one end, is pivoted the clutclrblock G, while at the other end is pivoted the clutch-lever H. The outer end of this clutch-lever is connected with the bifurcated ends of the angle-lever I, pivoted on the arln C, by the links K on each side of the said clutch-lever H. The inner ends of the block G and the clutch-lever H are made concave to fit the bar D, as shown in Fig. 3, lthe upper edges of the said concave portions being sharpened to bite the said bar D on each side.`

L represents stops or ears formed on top of the side or pivot plates, F, and extending inwardly over the block G and the clutch-lever H, to prevent the upper edges of the said clutch lever and block from rising above the upper edge of the said side or pivot plates. This is desirablato always keep the said block and lever in position for operation, as if they are allowed to swing up above the upper edge of the said plates they will not act properly upon the bar to clutch it.

as follows: To lift a weight the head of the bar D is placed thereunder, with the lever-arm I of the lever I raised, as shown in Fig. 1. The said lever-arm is then pressed down, thus raising the inner end of the lever and also raising the outer end of the clutch-lever H, thereby causing the inner concave edge to bite one side of the bar D, while the pivoted clutch-block G on the other side is caused to also bite the said rod, thus clutching it firmly and causing it to rise as the said lever-arm is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that the above is a very simple and effective mode of clutching the bar D, namely: the clutch-lever H on one side is acted on directly, and the block G on the other side is caused to bite by the frictional contact between the said bar and the block, it being evident that the more weight which is placed ou the top of the bar D the more firmly will the clutch bite the bar.

It will be also' seen that lny present invention is an improvement on previous patents granted to nie on December 25, 1877, bearing the No. 198,654, and on September 19, 1882, bearing the No. 264,732, the features of the invention being an improved forni of clutch and the ears or stops to prevent the clutch from coming out of the proper position to engage quickly. lt the said stops are not pro vided, it will be seen that when the lever-arm is raised to obtain a lower hold of the bar the clutches would be apt to be raised by the friction with the bar as they slipped down to the new position, and when the lever-arm is again lowered to raise the bar D there would be no result, as the clutches, being out of position, would not bite the bar, and must therefore be pushed down by hand. The said stops obviate all such trouble by always keeping the clutches in the proper position to engage the l bar.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

I. In a lifting-jack, the standard, the lever pivoted thereto, the lifting-bar, the side or pivot plates carrying the clutches, said plates being provided with ears or stops to hold said 5o The operation of my invention is obviously clutches in position for operation, and the 100 clutches, al1 combined substantially as deupper edges thereof from rising above the ups'cribed. per edges of the side plates, substantially as 2. In a lifting-jack, the standard, the lever described, for the purpose set forth. pivoted thereto, and the lifting-bar, combined In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my 5 with the clutch E, having side plates, F, and own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in pres- I 5 the clutch-block G and clutch-lever H, pivence of two witnesses.

oted between and at opposite ends of the side LORENZO MEEKER. plates, F, said plates being provided with the Witnesses: ears or stops L on their upper edges, extend- A. H. WINGHELL,

io ing inwardly over the clutches to prevent the S. V. R. VICKHAM. 

